Grief and Loss Counselling in Devon, AB.

Grief and bereavement are very normal responses to loss. However, the experience of grief and bereavement can be extremely difficult and feel paralyzing or overwhelming. Whether you have lost a loved one, a beloved pet, or have experienced a change in ability or circumstance, I can help you explore loss, learn tools to process grief, and build a plan for coping.

Feelings of loss and grief come up for different reasons. You may have lost a loved one, a relationship or even a change in your physical functioning due to accidents or illness. Whatever the reason, therapy can help in the grieving process. It gives you the space to acknowledge your loss, what it meant to you as well as finding new ways to ascribe meaning in your life.

There is no "getting over" loss, but there is a way to grieve and live meaningfully and fully. I help clients adjust to this new reality and focus on what really matters. We will process the full range of normal, complicated feelings that come with loss. Together, I will help you move forward through your pain and grief to build a new life while honouring what you have lost and staying connected to those you love.

Did you know that grief takes many forms? Grief can be felt in the passing of our loved ones, our beloved pets, and even those we are estranged from. We can also feel grief with life transitions such as the end of a career or relationship, and moving. There can even be a mourning period for changes like pregnancy- it is normal and okay to be both excited for the future and grieve our old lives. Counselling can support you through the process of grief.

Grief can touch every part of life — emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Whether you’re mourning the death of someone you love, the end of a relationship, or another painful change, I offer a safe and supportive space to make sense of what you’re feeling. With me, you don’t have to hold your pain alone. Together, we will explore your emotions at your own pace, gently uncovering the layers of sadness, anger, guilt, or numbness that often accompany loss. The goal isn’t to “move on,” but to help you find new ways of holding your loss — with compassion, understanding, and meaning.

At Rivers Edge Counselling, our therapists can help you with your grief or bereavement by: helping you better identify and accept your loss, move through the various emotions associated with loss like anger, hopelessness, sadness, guilt and loneliness seek a new approach to remember and honour a loved one who has passed away, and finally accept the impact it has had on shaping your life.

Grief is like having a broken rib. You may look fine on the outside, but there is massive pain on the inside. It hurts to move, sometimes it hurts to even breathe. Everyone experiences grief differently, but a commonality is that grieving alone makes it harder to heal. We are social beings and we feel intense grief when we loose someone we love. You are meant to be seen, heard and supported by others through grief. Sadness needs to be processed and there is no quick fix (I wish it was easier). If we can find meaning in the midst of loss it provides something to hold onto as you navigate your pain, and learn to move forward.

It has been said that life is about loss, and how one deals with it. Grief is how we deal with loss. Uncomplicated grief is an adjustment process, not an illness. There is one, though...an illness, I mean. I'd say the "illness" is cultural: For one reason or another, people ordinarily lose patience with the grief process, and often well before a healthy mourner is through their active grieving process. Unexpressed grief from former losses can extend the time needed for healthy grieving. People's wounds and scars can close heart and mind toward the grieving process. In an imperfect world, psychotherapists hold space and make time for (and precious to) a balanced grief process.

Loss can be the most painful thing we as humans can experience. The finality of loss and the pain of grieving often take a toll on our mental health. Grief is not just an emotion we experience, it is a physiological process our body goes through after a significant loss. Grief and loss also does not just occur from experiencing the death of someone we care about. Grief is not always about a negative loss. Grief can occur anytime there is a transition in life where we have to let go of something familiar. Even positive experiences like having a child can lead to feelings of grief and loss from the life we had before or how we have changed how we now define ourselves.

Grief can be an incredibly challenging experience, whether it's due to the loss of a loved one or the ending of a significant relationship. In my approach to therapy, I focus on various cognitive therapies. CBT is a compassionate method that aims to help you navigate the emotional pain and sadness. It offers helpful tools that you can use to address your loss.

I would like to be your support system in your grief journey by giving you a safe and judgement free environment, where you will be able to experience emotional and physical support. Together, we will start your healing process through sharing your story, increasing your understanding of the situation, finding new coping skills, working on your hope...

Grey Matters International and the work of Kevin J. Fleming, Ph.D approaches issues of grief & loss through the lens of innovation----instead of growing the same neural networks responsible for the pain in weekly therapy sessions, we reset the brain to move forward quicker and efficiently by working on the stuck limbic system so as to empower the person with more success and traction. For no one wants to stay in a grief mode for too long; but when you don’t include the brain in your work with someone, you risk describing the water to them while they drown and calling it success. Contact Grey Matters International, Inc now at kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or 877-606-6161.